These flavorful Thai-inspired chicken wings with peanut sauce will have you licking your fingers clean! I’ll show you how to bake chicken wings so they’re tender and juicy, and even crispier than frying. Afterward, slather the wings in a spicy homemade peanut sauce bursting with ginger, chili, and lime.
Looking for more chicken wings recipes? Try my classic air fryer buffalo chicken wings or these baked BBQ chicken wings!
Inspired by my Asian chicken wings and Korean chicken wings, I’m giving classic chicken wings a nutty, spicy Thai makeover in this easy recipe! The chicken bakes up crispy on the outside and tender on the inside before it’s drenched in an irresistible peanut sauce. The wing sauce is a version of the spicy homemade peanut sauce that I dip my summer rolls in. Tossed with Thai chicken wings, it’s seriously good. If you need an easy appetizer to kick off your family dinner or a flavorful snack for Sunday night football, these wings will leave everyone licking their fingers (and plates).
About These Crispy Thai Chicken Wings with Peanut Sauce
- Baked instead of fried. My Thai peanut wings are so much lighter than your typical deep-fried, sports bar chicken wings. Since they’re roasted in the oven instead of fried, they’re cooked with much less oil.
- Low-effort cooking. It takes 5 minutes to prepare your wings and sauce, and the oven does most of the work! Making perfect chicken wings has never been simpler. I’ll share all my tips for the BEST wings.
- Easy clean up. With one bowl used to season the chicken and another to make the sauce, you won’t have to worry about a mountain of dishes to wash.
What You’ll Need
These are the simple ingredients that make these saucy Thai peanut wings possible. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable list, measurements, and recipe details.
- Chicken Wings – I like to use a combination of drumettes and wings. You can use bone-in or boneless wings (note the cooking time will be shorter with boneless wings).
- Oil – This recipe includes a tablespoon each of sesame and canola oil to help the wings crisp up in the oven. Sesame oil is key to that unmistakable Asian-style flavor.
- Garlic Powder – In addition to salt and pepper, I like to season the wings with garlic for depth of flavor.
Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
- Creamy Peanut Butter – Use your favorite brand. It can be regular peanut butter or the no-salt, no-sugar-added kind.
- Fresh Cilantro – If you dislike cilantro, freshly chopped parsley or basil is a good substitute.
- Unsalted Peanuts – Chopped. If you only have crunchy peanut butter on hand, use that and omit the extra peanuts.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – Adds great flavor. Red or white wine vinegar works, too.
- Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed is best.
- Tamari Sauce – Or soy sauce.
- Garlic Chili Sauce – To add some heat. You can use another chili sauce, like Sriracha, if needed.
- Fresh Ginger – Freshly minced. The small holes on a box grater work well!
How to Make Baked Thai Chicken Wings
Crispy Thai wings slathered in peanut sauce are always a crowd-pleaser, whether it’s a weeknight dinner or game day! And they’re so easy to make. Here are the steps.
- Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, rinse the chicken wings with filtered water and pat them dry with paper towels. Make sure they’re well-dried, or they won’t be as crispy when baked.
- Season the wings. Next, combine the chicken wings, sesame oil, canola oil, and seasonings in a large bowl. Toss the chicken thoroughly to coat. Arrange the chicken on wire racks set on top of two baking sheets. For easier clean-up, line the pans.
- Bake. Bake the chicken wings at 400ºF for 45-50 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.
Make the Wing Sauce
While the wings bake, follow the steps to prepare the sweet-and-spicy Thai peanut sauce.
- Combine the ingredients. Combine the peanut butter, hot water, and the other sauce ingredients in a bowl. It’s important to use hot water so the peanut butter melts. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add more hot water, one tablespoon at a time.
- Coat the wings. When the chicken comes out of the oven, pour the peanut sauce over the freshly baked wings and toss until well coated.
- Garnish and serve. I like topping off my Thai peanut chicken with diced red pepper, fresh cilantro, diced green onions, and more chopped peanuts. Enjoy!
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Bake on a wire rack. I recommend baking your chicken on a wire rack set on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. This way, any excess liquid drips down into the pan, helping your chicken get extra crispy.
- Use tongs. I encourage you to flip the chicken with tongs so that you don’t have to stick your hands into the oven. If you don’t have tongs, line your oven mitt with foil and use that instead.
- Adjust the sauce consistency. You may need to thin out the peanut sauce a little after everything is combined. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time until you’re happy with the consistency.
- Make it spicier. I love topping my wings with a drizzle of Sriracha sauce to add an extra kick of spice! You could also sprinkle chopped chilies on top if you really crave the flame.
Serving Suggestions
Baked Thai peanut chicken wings make a delicious starter for any meal, and they’re a perfect party snack served with more finger foods. Try these crispy zucchini fries and bang bang shrimp, or add these spicy Thai chicken wings to a game day charcuterie board along with bacon-wrapped jalapeños.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Once cooled, leftover wings should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. Enjoy leftovers within 4 days.
- Reheat. To reheat your chicken, place the wings on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake them at 350°F until they’re warmed through
- Freezing. If you’d like, you can prepare your wings and peanut sauce ahead of time and store them in separate airtight containers in the freezer. The sauce will last up to 6 months, and the chicken will last up to 4. Thaw everything out in the fridge before reheating the chicken and adding the sauce. While the wings are in the oven, bring the peanut sauce to room temperature. Stir it well and thin it out again if needed. Toss it with the reheated chicken and enjoy!
More Easy Chicken Wing Recipes
Thai Chicken Wings with Peanut Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 35 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These crispy Thai chicken wings with peanut sauce are baked so they’re tender and juicy, then slathered in a spicy homemade peanut sauce bursting with ginger, chili, and lime.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Wings
- 2 1/2 lbs. chicken wings, drumettes & wings
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Spicy Peanut Sauce
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1/4 cup diced fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (unsalted)
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- Optional garnishes: Diced red pepper, fresh cilantro, diced green onions, peanuts
Instructions
Prepare the Wings
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Rinse chicken with water and pat dry.
- Place chicken in a large bowl, add sesame oil, canola oil, salt, garlic powder, and ground black pepper. Toss chicken with your hands to make sure everything is coated.
- Line two baking sheets with tin foil and place a wire rack (or cooking rack) on each baking sheet. Line the chicken up on the wire rack.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.
Make the Sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, to a medium bowl add peanut butter, hot water, fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, tamari sauce (or soy sauce), garlic chili sauce, and fresh ginger. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. If the sauce is not to the consistency you like, add more hot water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- When the chicken comes out of the oven, place it in a large bowl, pour the peanut sauce over the wings, and toss so all the wings are coated!
- Garnish with diced red pepper, chopped peanuts, green onions, and fresh cilantro.
- NOTE: For more of a kick, drizzle with Sriracha sauce (that’s how we like it).
Notes
- Makes 30-40 wings.
- Storage & Reheating: Once cooled, leftover wings should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. Enjoy within 4 days. To reheat, place the wings on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F until warmed through.
Filed Under:
** This post was sponsored by the Texas Peanut Producers Board, as always all opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Joyful Healthy Eats. **
39 comments on “Baked Chicken Wings with Thai Peanut Sauce”
Hello! I am so excited to add this to my meal plan for the week! I was wondering though if we could use this same recipe on chicken breast and then grill the chicken? Do you think it would soak up the flavor the same way?? Thank you so much!
Hey, I think you could try it! If anything you could serve the sauce on the size and dunk the chicken in it.
I was wondering could you tell us which brand of garlic chili sauce you used? I went to my local Asian store and got overwhelmed by the variety.
Looks delicious!
sure! I use the Huy Fong Food Inc. sauce, it’s the only one we have at our store and it’s great! Hope that helps Trish! Enjoy!
Can wing night be every night, please!? These look SO tasty! I think I’d bathe in that sauce if I could! 😉
hahaha.. I know right!
Oh man! This looks awesome, yum!
Thanks Zerrin!
It sounds like a great trip. And I’m totally a museum nerd, too – I’d be right there beside you, reading every sign. As for these wings – I could seriously eat these every single day.
haha… ohh now I wish you were there on the trip too! 🙂
I’ve been eyeing these since I saw them! I love Thai food, love peanut sauce and love chicken wings. This is a win all around!
OH man these are incredible! You’ll be obsessed with them Michelle! 🙂
Peanut sauce is so incredibly dreamy! These look amazing!
Right … so dreamy! 🙂
All the YUMS! These would disappear in seconds at my house!
haha.. it DID disappear in seconds at my house!
I am loving this take on chicken wings! My Hubby will go nuts for these flavors!
So tasty! Hope you get a chance to try them Anna!
my husband was just saying the other day the he would pretty much eat anything covered in peanut sauce…and these wings I’m sure would disappear the minute they hit the table
haha.. I like the way your husband thinks! I guarantee these will be gone in minutes, make sure to drizzle them with sriracha if you like a little bit of a kick. 🙂
These are perfect for game day!
Thanks Des! The sauce is perfection! 🙂
We use to eat chicken wings all the time! I loved them! I bet this Thai Peanut Sauce is amazing!
I feel like their flavor changes to amazingness when it’s football season, wings and football just go together just like wings and this sauce! It’s pretty much a life changing combo! 🙂
Ah, peanut sauce is my absolute favorite! I’m obsessed with the flavors!
Mine too! LOVE peanut sauce, especially when it has a kick to it!
Sounds like a great trip! These chicken wings look awesomely delicious!!
Oh they are! They are a must try this football season!
These look amazing, and they would go fast in my house. We love that stuff!
I guarantee they’ll be gone in less than 10 minutes!
Woowww…..it is looking damn delicious.
I will surely try it.
Thank a lot for this recipe.
I’m obsessed with things wings! I’m dying to make them!
YOU NEED TO! Ah-mazing
Sounds like a wonderful trip! Loved learning that there are 850 peanuts in a jar of PB 🙂 These wings look amazing and I’m sure we’ll be eating them all year in our house! What a treat!
haha.. I know right! I always wondered how many you needed! Hope you enjoy the wings Patricia!
Looks and sounds incredibly delicious!!
Thanks Kat!
That sounded like a great trip! I love the facts you shared about peanuts!! Also these look amazing!!
Thanks Meg! It was a great trip and anytime I get to eat peanut butter is a good day for me!